Examples of magnetic thrust bearings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,101,130; 5,315,197; 5,406,157 and 6,700,258; in International Publication No. WO 95/34763 A1; and in European Patent Application Publication No. EP 0344596 A2. The disclosures of these and all other publications referenced herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.